VZCZCXRO1739
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHWN #0438/01 2011654
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201654Z JUL 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7613
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEABND/DEA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRIDGETOWN 000438 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR AND INL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM ECON PGOV XL
SUBJECT:  Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean: June 2009 NAS Update 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000438  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (SBU) The island nations that make up Embassy Bridgetown's area 
of responsibility - Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, 
Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the 
Grenadines continue to see a steady increase in the volume of 
narcotics destined for and transshipped through the region.  Local 
law enforcement continues to be under-resourced and plagued with 
antiquated legal codes and corruption in the ranks.  A functional 
regional maritime entity, expanded training and a robust integrity 
(vetting) program will be required in the fight against 
narco-traffickers along the U.S. Third Border.  Following is a 
summary of recent law enforcement and counter-narcotics activity and 
training in Embassy Barbados AOR.  End Summary. 
 
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RECENT ENFORCEMENT SUCCESSES 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The following is a snapshot of recent narcotic 
enforcement/seizures in the region: 
 
BARBADOS: 
 
-- During the month of June a total of 44 kilograms of cocaine were 
seized by police in Barbados which resulted in the arrest of 4 
defendants. 
 
-- In one case, responsible for 40 kilograms of cocaine, DEA 
collaboration with British SOCA resulted in the arrest of 3 
defendants off the coast of Barbados.  The seized cocaine originated 
in Venezuela and was destined for the United Kingdom. The 
organization was a pre-selected IDEC (International Drug Enforcement 
Conference) Target that had been identified and targeted in the past 
year. 
 
ANTIGUA: 
 
-- During the month of June a total of 5,200 kilograms of marijuana 
were seized by police in Antigua resulting in the arrest of 5 
defendants. 
 
ST. LUCIA: 
 
-- During the month of June a total of 1 kilogram of cocaine and 49 
kilograms of marijuana were seized by police in St Lucia resulting 
in the arrest of 2 defendants. 
 
MARTINIQUE: 
 
-- During the month of June a total of 29 kilograms of cocaine were 
seized by authorities with no arrests reported. 
 
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TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE 
----------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The following is a breakdown of training provided during 
June in the region: 
 
NAS FUNDED OR FACILITATED: 
 
-- ILEA Advanced Management Course Roswell, New Mexico:  6/1 - 6/26: 
A total of 10 law enforcement officers from Barbados and the Eastern 
Caribbean joined colleagues from Trinidad, Jamaica and the Bahamas 
to participate in the Advanced Management Course at ILEA New 
Mexico. 
 
-- NAS funded the travel and participation of the President of the 
National Committee for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug 
Dependency of Barbados, Mr. Victor Roach, to attend the Annual 
Conference of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals 
in Anaheim, California. 
 
DEA FACILITATED: 
 
-- DEA provided an agent to address an Anti-Doping Conference held 
by the Ministry of Sports and Health in Barbados. 
 
RSO/DS FACILITATED: 
 
-- RSO assisted DS/ ATA in providing 24 officers from across the 
region with a 2 week forensic crime scene investigation course 
related to terrorist acts. 
 
U.S. MILITARY FUNDED (MLO/DOD): 
 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000438  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
-- A total of 10 U.S. Navy Divers conducted training in Barbados for 
32 regional divers from throughout the region. 
 
-- MLO arranged for regional participants to attend the Caribbean 
Security and Strategy Seminar in Jamaica during the period of 6/7- 
6/13/09. 
 
-- MLO arranged for participants from Antigua to attend a Senior 
Enlisted leader's conference in Chile during the period of 14 - 21 
June. 
 
-- MLO arranged for regional participants to attend a Port Security 
Safety Working Group conference in Puerto Rico during the period of 
16 - 19 June. 
 
-- MLO sent an 8 man military team from Barbados to Brazil for the 
Southcom sponsored Forces Commando competition during the period of 
16 - 25 June. 
 
-- MLO sent a participant to attend the Regional Disaster 
Preparation Seminar in Peru during the period of 16 - 21 June. 
 
-- TAFT sent a Mobile Training Team to Grenada to work with, train 
and fix vessels of the maritime unit in Grenada. 
 
-- MLO arranged for a 7 man USAF team to train 24 officers from the 
Special Services Unit of the St. Lucia Police Force in Search and 
Rescue techniques. 
 
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NAS TRAVEL AND ACTIVITIES 
------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Narcotic Affairs Offcer (NAO) and Narcotic Affairs 
Procurement Agentdid not travel during the month of June. 
 
-- TheNAO worked closely during the month with the Canadan Embassy 
in assisting with the draft of a repot on the Caribbean concerning 
Narcotic and Law Enorcement issues to be delivered at the Dublin 
Grup Meeting in Brussels on 6/22/09.  Major edits tothe 
information were made based on assistance an information provided 
by DEA at post. 
 
-- The AO met with the British High Commission Bridgetown ead of 
the UK Security Advisory Team to discuss nd coordinate a joint 
training initiative where AS would arrange with DOJ to send 
prosecutors frm the region for training in asset forfeiture and 
money laundering prosecutions and the UK would arrnge for training 
of judges from the region in the same subjects.  It is anticipated 
that the prosecutor training will take place in late July and the 
training for Judges in November. 
 
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OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT NEWS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) On June 4, 2009, a total of 6 defendants were convicted in 
the Supreme Court of Barbados for their roles in the possession and 
trafficking of 91.3 kilograms of marijuana and 119.4 kilograms of 
cocaine, which took place on November 30, 2005.  This case is 
significant in that the principle defendant, Rohan Shastri 
Rambarran, a Guyanese and American Citizen, headed an indentified 
PTO (Priority Trafficking Organization) as defined by DEA and was 
also the subject of a pre-selected IDEC target as identified and 
agreed upon by law enforcement in the region.  This conviction is 
noteworthy and directly meets an Embassy Mission Strategic Plan goal 
of Combating International Crime and Drugs. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Crime and especially crime related to gang activity 
continues to be a hot button issue within the region.  During the 
month of June, St. Lucia experienced a higher than normal murder 
rate with a majority of it be associated with drugs and gangs.  All 
countries within the Embassy's area of operation are requesting 
assistance and training related to investigating and controlling 
gangs. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) NAS at post has received inquiries and general interest 
about the proposed Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) from 
police and judicial authorities within the region as well as law 
enforcement officials from Canada, the UK and the EU posted within 
the region.  There appears to be a level of excitement and interest 
related to the possibilities of collaborative projects within the 
region in concert with CBSI. 
 
 
HARDT